"Hey! Nice face, freak!"
I glare at the tall bean pole of a girl with a mass of brown curls, who stands beside me, laughing at the goopy food she just flung on my face.
"Get lost, Stina."

I hear a voice say behind me.
I turn.
It's Trey.
He gives me a smile, and (against my will) my heart flutters.
Then I come back to reality and realize Stina is still laughing.
I turn back to her, my anger flaring.

"Yeah! Get lost you- you, you!"
I growl, barely remembering to watch my language.
"Oh the poor baby wants me to go away!" She pretends to pout, sticking out her bottom lip.
I. Am. About. To. Loose. It.

I turn like I'm gonna walk away and scrape the food from my face. Then, keeping my hands behind me I turn around and walk up to her. Before she can stop me, I shove mystery glop into her grinning snout.

She screams and starts to cough trying scraping the food off. Her eyes are blazing now and I realize I've just started a suicide mission.
I feel the room starting to darken.
Keep it under control, keep it under control.

I slowly take in a deep breath.
The whole cafeteria of teens is silent now, waiting for the first person to swing.
Stina then leans down and whispers into my ear.
Turns out, it's me that makes the first move.
I kick her.
Hard.
Right in the shin.

She yelps and grabs me by the hair before I can run. Shes swinging a punch into my nose, before I can blink.
I feel the blood start to stream out, and silently curse, and run at her.
But Trey grabs my hand, pleading in his eyes.

Then (finally) a teacher arrives.
A teacher and- the principal.
One grabs me and the other, Stina.
Holding us back from killing each other.

First day and I'm already in a fight.
Ugh.
Dad will not be happy I drew attention to myself.
I already have to wear nasty contacts to cover that I have yellow eyes and not blue.
Why the heck couldn't I just drink an elixir or something?

After trying (and failing) to make us apologize to each other, they drag me one way, and Stina the other down the hall. Trey is left too finish his lunch all by himself.
Poor Trey.

The principal brings me to the healing center, and makes me sit on a cot, while he gets the physician.
When Master Leto comes back, Elwin is following behind him.

Ohhhhhh crudddddd.........
I'm soooooooo dead....

"Well, Well! Look who it is!"
Elwin exclaims.
"I thought I told you to wipe that blood off your face?" He says with a teasing frown.
I clench her my jaw and give him a sarcastic smile.
I am NOT in the mood.

"I did. This is new."
I finally grunt.
Elwin must realize I'm not in a good mood, and gets a wet cloth for my face and an elixir to help anything that might of been hurt in the punch, but I wonder if he might of added a bit of something to get me in a better mood, because as soon as I drink it, all my anger melts away.

But I can't live without some anger.
Out of peer spite, I crush the exilar tube in my hand and the shards of glass slice into my hand.
I don't even wince as the pain flares and the blood stats to pool in my hand.
Master Leto and Elwin just stare at me in horror.
Finally Elwin hurry's over and grabs my blood dripping hand.
"Why? Why would you do that?"
I don't answer.

***

After Elwin removes the glass, cleans my hand, makes me drink more exilars, then gently rubs a balm on it, and bandages it, he gives me a excuse slip and long lecture, before sending me on to class.
Master Leto just keenly watched me the whole time.
After he gave me detention for a week.
Bunch of bunk.

I actually almost wonder if he was trying to slip into my mind at some point.
Hah!
Good luck with that!
My minds impenetrable.
But invading someone's mind without their permission or the councils is illegal, so I doubt he was.

Later, when school finally lets out, I purposely run into Sophie.
Literally.
"Oof!" We both grunt, stumbling back from impact.
I immediately put on an innocent face and nervously say,
"Oh my word! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
After a moment, Sophie nods.
"It's all right, I'm fine. I'm Sophie.
What's your name?"
She asks, holding out her hand to shake.

I hold mine up, ready to answer, but we both realize it's covered in bandages.
"Oh my, what happened?"
She asks, concerned.
I blush.
"My saber tooth cub was playing with my hand and got a little too ruff."
The lie rolls off my tongue like syrup.
Sweet and sticky.
Just the way Alvar taught me.

Her eyes widen then she blush's.
"Oh yeah.... I keep forgetting stuff like that is real."
She murmurs.
I shrug.
"I'm Emily by the way."
She smiles. "That's a pretty name."
I smile.
"Thanks! So what are you doing-"
I'm cut off by a beautiful dark haired girl in a sparkly purple tunic.
"Sophie! We're gonna be late for class! Come on!"
She says, grabbing Sophie's arm.

"Okay one sec."
Sophie reply's before turning back to me.
"Sorry, Emily, I got to go. But I'll see you later?"
I smile, fakely.
"Oh yeah, but I'm going that way too! Mind if I walk with you?"
The brown haired girl looks at me like I'm a bug.

But Sophie smiles.
"Sure! Let's go!"
I'm just about to follow her, when I hear something behind me.
I turn quickly, and see Alvar blink into and out of view from down the hall.
I give him a long hard glare, then hurry after the two girls.